--- name: iterative-scouting model: opus description: Produces a follow-up scout document that reframes the original question based on what feedback revealed (a reframe = a new strategic lens that changes which problem is worth solving). Use when: 'scout this again with fresh eyes', 'the first scout raised deeper questions', 'what is the real question here', 'iterate the scout' category: scout-position inputs: - name: original_scout type: string description: The original scout document or question that raised deeper issues required: true - name: feedback type: string description: Feedback or new insight that triggers the re-scout required: true outputs: - name: follow_up_scout type: ref format: cas-ref description: Follow-up scout document reframing the original question with a new strategic lens --- # Iterative Scouting Pattern Skill **Version:** 1.1 **Created:** 2026-02-07 **Author:** Manus AI **Purpose:** To formalize the meta-process of strategic scouting, emphasizing its iterative nature and the importance of reframing. --- ## I. The Philosophy: Scouting as a Conversation Strategic scouting is not a linear process of finding the "right" answer. It is a **conversation** with the strategic landscape. The goal of the first scout is not to produce a final decision, but to generate a set of provocative routes that will elicit a deeper, more insightful response. The real prize is not the initial answer, but the **reframe** of the original question. A **reframe** is a new strategic lens that changes which problem is worth solving — not a refinement of the original question, but a replacement of it with a better one. This skill operationalizes the pattern of **scout → feedback → reframe → re-scout**, turning a simple exploration into a powerful engine for strategic discovery. --- ## II. When to Use This Skill - When facing a complex strategic decision with no obvious answer. - When the initial framing of a problem feels too narrow or binary. - After an initial strategic scout has been completed and feedback has been gathered. - When you need to teach or demonstrate the process of strategic thinking. --- ## III. The Workflow This is a 4-step workflow for the iterative scouting pattern. ### Step 1: Initial Scout **Goal:** To explore the initial strategic tension and propose a set of viable routes. **Actions:** - Identify the initial tension (e.g., "Deprecate vs. Companion"). - Use `/strategic-scout` to explore a diverse set of routes. - Synthesize the routes and propose a provocative starting point. ### Step 2: Gather Feedback & Listen for the Reframe **Goal:** To present the initial scouting results and listen for the deeper question hidden in the feedback. **Actions:** - Present the initial routes. - Listen not just for agreement or disagreement, but for the *way* the feedback is framed. - Identify the "question behind the question" (e.g., the shift from "what to do with the web app" to "what is the mobile experience for?"). - Explicitly ask: "Did this feedback confirm the original question, or reveal a different one?" ### Step 3: Re-Scout with the New Lens **Goal:** To conduct a second round of scouting using the new, more powerful framing. **Actions:** - Articulate the new, reframed tension (e.g., "Deep Work vs. On-the-Go"). - Use `/strategic-scout` again with this new lens. - Explore routes that are native to the new framing. - Document the before/after: original tension → reframe → second scout headline. ### Step 4: Synthesize and Align on the Final Vision **Goal:** To synthesize the results of the second scouting round into a final, coherent product vision. **Actions:** - Select the best route from the second round. - Define the final product positioning, timeline, and business model. - Confirm alignment and commit to the vision. --- ## IV. Best Practices - **Plan for a second scouting pass:** For any non-trivial strategic decision, assume you will need at least two rounds of scouting. The first pass surfaces routes; the second pass answers the real question. - **The Reframe is the Prize:** The most valuable output of the process is the new, more powerful question you discover. - **Scout for Provocation, Not for Consensus:** The goal of the first scout is to provoke a better conversation, not to find an answer that everyone agrees with. - **Name the reframe explicitly:** When a reframe occurs, write it down as "Original question: X → Reframed question: Y" before re-scouting. This makes the pivot visible and prevents reverting to the original framing mid-execution. --- ## V. Quality Checklist Before concluding the process, ensure you can answer "yes" to all of the following questions: - [ ] Have you completed at least two rounds of scouting? - [ ] Can you clearly articulate the initial tension and the reframed tension? - [ ] Did the reframe lead to a richer, more insightful set of strategic options? - [ ] Is the final vision aligned with the insights from the second scouting round? - [ ] Is the final decision documented and socialized? --- ## Output - A second scout document saved to `thinking/[topic]_scout_v2.md` (or equivalent project thinking directory) - The document includes: original tension, reframe statement, second-pass routes with tradeoffs, and selected direction with rationale --- ## Examples **Scenario 1:** "The first scout on mobile vs. web raised more questions than it answered — scout this again with fresh eyes." → Produces a second scout document that leads with the reframe ("Original: deprecate web. Reframed: what is mobile uniquely for?") and explores routes native to that new question. **Scenario 2:** "What is the real question here? We keep debating the same two options." → Runs the feedback-listening step explicitly, surfaces the hidden reframe ("we're actually deciding who the primary user is"), and produces a targeted second scout scoped to that question. --- ## Edge Cases - **Feedback confirms the original scout** — no reframe is needed. Document this explicitly ("second pass confirms original framing") and move to decision rather than forcing a reframe that isn't there. - **Multiple competing reframes emerge from feedback** — pick the one that changes the most about the original question, not the one that feels safest. Scout the boldest reframe first. - **The second scout also raises new questions** — limit to two scouting passes unless the stakes are very high. A third pass usually signals the question is not yet well-formed enough to scout; step back and clarify scope instead. --- ## Anti-Patterns - **Iterating without capturing the reframe decision** — running a second scout without documenting what changed between pass 1 and pass 2. This causes the reframe to disappear in later conversations and the team reverts to the original framing. - **Mistaking refinement for reframing** — adjusting route details from the first scout is not a reframe. A reframe changes which problem is being solved, not how a solution is described. - **Forcing a reframe when feedback confirms the original** — not every first scout needs a second pass. If feedback aligns with the original question, commit and move on rather than manufacturing a reframe to justify the process.